Thursday, July 10, 2008

De Broglie's Plan - A die will decide it.

Gallian Marshall l'Duc de Broglie left Frankfurt Am Main as reported here last week bound for the celebrated Fulda Gap. His Advance Guard has arrived with the Main Body one day's march to the southwest and closing fast. To the northeast lies Hesse-Seewaldt. To the north is the capital of Hesse-Kassel, the city of Kassel itself. In his rear is the magazine and substantial garrison commanded by l'Intendant Bastille at Frankfurt Am Main.

None of us know de Broglie's Plan de Campaign - including me. So.... I will throw
1D6s in a moment to decide what he will do. Options are:

1-2: Advance Guard waits for The Main Body to heave into sight and thereafter leads the Army into Hesse-Seewaldt. Very bold.

3-4: Same as 1-2 but heads north to storm Kassel. It's a walled town if I remember correctly. I just built sixteen scaling ladders so....

5-6: Advance Guard waits for The Main Body to heave into view and marches one day northeast with screens out in all directions. The Main Body then commences building fortifications in the Fulda Gap. Why? Well, let's see? Oh, yes. To be close to Frankfurt Am Main just in case it needs to be grilled, to provide a hard right flank for later operations known only to de Broglie's next D6 throws or fate.

Okay, I'm going to go and get a 1D6 now.

Pause..........

Okay, I have a Las Vegas green die with no funny rounded edges. I threw it until one result came up twice. The throws were:

One result was to go for Kassel. Then....

Two results were to stay in the Fulda Gap and... well you can reread it above.

Votre Serviteur
Bill

PS I'm going to comment about this in a moment. This works out very nicely and you'll read why in a moment.

4 comments:

Gallia said...

Gentlemen,

Fate has assisted me for the Saturday morning game at Historicon entitled Hold Until Relieved.

You just read that de Broglie's Advance Guard is in The Fulda Gap awaiting the Main Body one day to the southwest. The plan is to fortify the gap with the Advance Guard out in front as a screen.

This now provides the scenario for the above-mentioned game.

I suppose our options could be:

Der Alte attacks the Advance Guard in the gap. The Gallian Main Body still less than a day away is able to send some of its closest units to help.

Der Alte attacks the Advance Guard in front of the gap while the Gallian Main Body is building fortifications in the gap.

Der Alte is assumed to have forced the Advance Guard back and assaults the Fulda Gap itself. The Gallians have partially completed forticications.

I suspect Der Alte and I may have a chance to talk this through this coming Saturday when he is here for the Jacobite game. At any rate, we now have a background for Hold Until Relieved. We'll let you know what is actually decided later on.

Batailles de l'Ancien Régime 1740-1763 (BAR) will be used.

Votre Serviteur,
Bill

Der Alte Fritz said...

Hmm, given the importance of the Fulda Gap to the overall defense of Hesse Seewald, (and conveniently, its proximity to Frankfurt am Main - the main Gallian supply base) the Erbprinz has always kept an army stationed there. Might I point out that every Gallian attempt to force the Gap has been turned back by the Erbprinz in a table top battle. It would seem that de Broglie would have to capture the Fulda Gap from Hesse Seewald before building fortifications on that spot.

ColCampbell50 said...

Looks like a great battle is looming - both verbally and on the "Field of Mars."

Jim

Frankfurter said...

Let's see:
Johannes Baddman will suureptiously leave a file in Broglie's tent which claims that Hesse Homburg has indiscriminately recruited forces and leaders which bear The Empire no good will and Gallia even less ...

A clerk from one of the BurgerMasters of Frankfurter will approach either Broglie and / or Intendant Bastille to point out that the Hurtshog's activities have been serious problems for Gallia's other minor allies, and perhaps is overdue for replacement ...

Phillipe reports to the Intendent that the malcontents have recruited Dutchmen and coming down from Limburger to Russelville form a serious challenge to the Hurthog's forces in that area, and if victorious would be able to march into Mainz and cut the supply lines for both Broglie and Chevert ... that later, btw, looks good for a proxy fight ...

:)
A

Now to bring in the bellows and get some flame going!
:)